A new report into housing and homelessness in Scotland has found that expanding supported lodgings accommodation could help tackle youth homelessness.

The report - carried out by Heriot Watt University report for charity Shelter Scotland - shows a "high degree of support among sector experts" for expanding supported lodgings, and believe that it would help to reduce hostel and B&B use for young homeless people.

Already used in England, the US and Canada, the supported lodgings scheme gives young people their own room in a private home, where the occupants have been screened and trained, with specialist support given to both the hosts and lodger.

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Youth homelessness in Scotland

Youth homelessness has fallen in recent years in Scotland, but people aged 16-24 are over-represented among the overall homeless population.

Researchers found young people who had been in homeless hostels and B&B accommodation viewed it with "fear and trepidation.''

However, from 2016 to2017 a total of 1,755 young people were placed in hostels and a further 670 were placed in B&Bs under temporary accommodation placements.

'Urgent need'

Lead researcher Beth Watts said: "The findings provide strong support for the development and growth of Supported Lodgings schemes in Scotland, targeting young people who are at risk of or experiencing homelessness.

"It's clear there is an urgent need. Existing accommodation options for young people are inadequate.

"Despite improvements in recent years, too many young people are still living in B&B and hostel accommodation at some point in their 'homelessness journey', an experience they can find isolating, intimidating and even harmful.

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"For those that move into independent housing before they want to or with insufficient support, there is a heightened risk that the tenancy can break down."

Shelter Scotland's George Drennan-Lang said: "We think a Supported Lodgings service, with specially trained hosts, would provide some young people with the secure home environment they need to help move forward in life."